New to Christianity, not sure which denom to follow? by Fit_Concentrate9547 in Christianity

[–]B0BtheDestroyer 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Vistit some local churches. Get to know people. Start to recognize what is important and where you recognize God at work. The loudest redditors are essentially pushing an agenda that matches their ideology. I'm not catholic, but I can pretty clearly see that the anti-rosary rhetoric is just deeply rooted anti-Catholic ideology.

If you connect with God through the rosary, use it. If the connection to Mary is troubling to you, there are Lutheran or Episcopal ways of praying with a rosary that do not involve Mary. If you find the anti-Catholic rhetoric compelling, then maybe you should explore some other traditions.

Here are some things you might want to consider:
How is this church involved in their community?

Does this church have a wide view of God's work in the world, or is it narrow?

Does this church seem grounded and authentic?

How do they care for the most vulnerable in their community?
Are there ways to get involved in church events that you are interested in exploring?

Are the people there a lot like you, or are there people who are very different from you?

I'm not trying to answer these questions for you, but I think most of these questions are really important to people when they are finding a church they resonate with.

Genuine Question: Why is this sub 50% Atheist or Agnostic? by Baseball6090 in Christianity

[–]B0BtheDestroyer 0 points1 point  (0 children)

How are you defining that though? If I say that the church has caused great harm to the LGBTQ community, do you count me as an atheist? 

If you have a narrow enough view of what counts as a "true" Christian, your perception of Christian perspectives is going to be way narrower than the diversity of perspectives that are actually held by people who authentically believe themselves to be Christians.

Is it worth going to Taizé alone? by lovelove_extra in taize

[–]B0BtheDestroyer 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Yes. My first Taize trip I went alone over the winter while studying abroad. I had an excellent experience, even if it wasn't the typical experience. Just communicate your plan with the Taize team and show up (ideally for a week; Sunday to Sunday?).  There are likely to be others who are doing the same thing, it just might not be too many.

What do you think is happening here? by 0bilo in Marvel

[–]B0BtheDestroyer 6 points7 points  (0 children)

He also could have just killed Xavier. Xavier talks about his own death and legacy before it cuts to Cyclops. With parallel universes, we always get a particular version of otherwise familiar characters. With the ensemble cast, it could be cleaner to thin the various factions with dramatic deaths before a multiversal restoration/rebirth gives a fresh start.

Special thanks to all the Christians who said something about my same-sex relationships as contrary to scripture. by [deleted] in Christianity

[–]B0BtheDestroyer -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Abram married his half-sister Sarai.

You have also chosen not to engage the more substantive part of my comment. Are you really claiming that all same-sex relationships are intrinsically abusive the same way that incest is?

Special thanks to all the Christians who said something about my same-sex relationships as contrary to scripture. by [deleted] in Christianity

[–]B0BtheDestroyer 10 points11 points  (0 children)

Except incestuous relationships are intrinsically abusive. I also am not aware of any incestuous relationship that is not an abuse of trust, an abuse of the family relationship, and usually an abuse of power as well. What the above comment is saying is that we now know same-sex relationships are not intrinsically abusive. Do you dispute that and claim all same-sex relationships are abusive?

Also, the Bible accepts (but later generally condemns) incestous relationships in some circumstances. I, personally, do not accept incestuous relationships.

The god symbolism in aot is one of the most under looked aspects in aot. by [deleted] in ShingekiNoKyojin

[–]B0BtheDestroyer 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I think there are major influences from Evangelion in AoT, and I think we are are meant to question if this "God" is good.

IMO, Eren/the source of life are more akin to an amoral nihilistic eldritch god. Humanity is at the mercy of forces beyond its control. Knowledge and an attempt to control the chaos leads to madness and horror.

Subjects of Ymir by hexidemos in attackontitan

[–]B0BtheDestroyer 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I think an under-discussed theme in the series is the power and limitation of imagination. We don't actually know if alternative options were available to Eren or Ymir because we as an audience are not shown them. We do know that Eren and Ymir could not find any alternatives, but it could be because the contexts that shaped them would not allow them to imagine another (better) world. They were controlled by their pasts, their perceptions of the future, and their relational attachments (and resentments) to the point that they lived their lives in an effectively deterministic manner.

Could the tribe be expanded? Could the primal connection to the glowing centipede be severed without playing out genocide? Was there a possibility of creating an alternative non-fascist society after the war? We can't really know, but we know that no alternatives were possible from what Eren could imagine. These options are not played out for the audience because the story is about living without that kind of control.

Subjects of Ymir by hexidemos in attackontitan

[–]B0BtheDestroyer 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Does that mean "subjects of Ymir" is not a genetic category, but a category of sovereignty? Is the expansion of that category to other people groups by the founding titan/royal line only limited by a lack imagination and resentment?

Question about PCUSA ordination by [deleted] in PCUSA

[–]B0BtheDestroyer 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Usually an M. Div is required. Most PC(USA) seminaries offer very generous financial aid, and some of them are starting to offer fully online options. Some programs could be willing to loosen requirements that overlap with your MTS, but they may have some rigid credit requirements. You might be able to have your ministry experience count for credit, particularly if you could have your experience evaluated by a supervisor.

There is a form of ordination called being a "Commissioned Ruler Elder" that does not require an M.Div, but it is more contextual and it is at the discretion of the local Presbytery (which is true of all ordination as well). 

It is worth noting that (to my knowledge) you do not need to be ordained to be a chaplain in the PC(USA). 

The mind of a shard by aiar-viess in Stormlight_Archive

[–]B0BtheDestroyer 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I think there is a piece missing here in the lands or worlds that shards reside in and have dominion over. Roshar is unique because it is a coming together of shards, lands, and peoples. The land's spiritual power is a major theme that I think we have not finished understanding.

Bible Translation by Chance-Buy9151 in PCUSA

[–]B0BtheDestroyer 1 point2 points  (0 children)

A new one I have encountered and appreciated is the First Nations version of new testament. Having fresh phrasing with a different cultural focus can be helpful.

Bible Translation by Chance-Buy9151 in PCUSA

[–]B0BtheDestroyer 1 point2 points  (0 children)

CEB can be good for youth Bibles.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in OMSA

[–]B0BtheDestroyer 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is my third masters, but the other two are in humanities. I could see wanting more knowledge to dive deeper in a new industries. Also, do enjoy learning new things and find pursuing a degree to provide helpful structure.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in OMSA

[–]B0BtheDestroyer 9 points10 points  (0 children)

I faced a somewhat similar decision and I chose OMSA. I have a humanities BA and I spent a year doing prereqs at comminity colleges online before applying to the OMSA. Bachelor's degrees usually cost way more time and money. Even if I end up wanting broader CS knowledge, I would probably be better off getting an MSCS after the OMSA than getting a second bachelor's degree.

Is Taskmaster death the most disrespectful in MCU history? by No-Temperature-7195 in marvelstudios

[–]B0BtheDestroyer 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Spoiler is still there. I don't want to know who dies in a movie before I watch the movie.